240. IMPRISONED AT PHILIPPI

"Come over into Macedonia and help us"

At the end of the Jerusalem Conference, the apostle Paul, in company with Barnabas, Judas and Silas, journeyed to Antioch where they made known the behaviour expected of converts to Christianity. After some time, Paul determined to revisit the ecclesias he had already established during the first campaign, and together with Silas, departed for Syria and Cilicia.

Acts 16

THE SPIRIT'S DIRECTION (verses 1-12).

At Lystra the brethren met the young man Timothy whom Paul asked to accompany them. Timothy's father was Greek, and to avoid criticism and opposition to Timothy by the Jews Paul thought it best that Timothy submit to circumcision. When they had passed through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, it was made known to them by the intervention of the Holy Spirit that they were not to continue into Asia. They then planned to travel to Bithynia, but again God directed them away from their destination. When they reached Troas (ancient Troy), Paul saw in a vision, a man of Macedonia praying that they should come to help them in that area. Believing that the Lord was calling them to Macedonia, the brethren immediately sailed across the Aegean Sea to Neapolis. From there, the Egnatian Way led them 15 km inland to "the chief city of that part of Macedonia", Philippi.

LYDIA AND HER HOUSEHOLD BAPTISED (verses 13-15).

Philippi was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. At the time of the apostles' preaching, it was a colony, under Roman rule. It appears that there was no synagogue in the town, for Paul and his companions went first to a riverside, where it is recorded that "prayer was wont to be made". Among some women who heard their preaching was Lydia, a trader, who sold a precious cloth dye. She, like Cornelius the centurion, was a devout person, and, again like him, responded to the truth that was taught her concerning the things of the kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ (cp. Acts 10:2, 6). After learning and believing the Gospel, Lydia and her household were baptised, and from that time, she persuaded the brethren to abide with them at her house.

A WOMAN HEALED (verses 16-21).

There was in Philippi a mentally disturbed woman who had gained a reputation as a fortune teller. Some greedy men had taken advantage of the pagan people's superstition and had demanded large sums of money from those folk who ignorantly placed faith in the woman. After hearing Paul and the brethren preaching the gospel she became interested in them and accompanied them for many days. She began to cry out that these men showed the way of salvation. This upset Paul as he did not want the truth to be proclaimed from a mentally disturbed person. He realised that it was not good for the Gospel to be associated with fortune telling.

Finally, through the special power granted him by the Holy Spirit, he cured her mental disability. Because the woman no longer suffered delu­sions, she was unable to continue her practices of fortune-telling and as a result, the men who had gained much money through her activities lost any further profit. In anger they captured Paul and Silas and brought them before the rulers in the market place. Although Paul and Silas had wrought only good and righteous works, they were brought before the magistrates, and these wicked men charged them with trouble-making.

IMPRISONMENT, EARTHQUAKE AND CONVERSION (verses 22-34).

It has often been the case that those who preach the truth concerning Jesus suffer scorn and contempt from their fellows. Such was Paul and Silas' experience in Philippi as the crowd joined in their condemnation. To satisfy the cries of the crowd, the magistrates stripped and beat the brethren, and ordered their imprisonment under strict security. Despite their humiliation and pain, Paul and Silas rejoiced that they were able to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (cp. Acts 5:41). They responded to the exhortation that Jesus gave when he said, "blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven" (Matt. 5:11-12, cp. 1 Pet. 4:12-14; 3:14; Rom. 12:14). In the middle of the night their faith shone forth as a beacon, as they prayed and sang praises to God. The prisoners heard them and so did God.

As a sure sign of His everlasting care (cp. Psa. 34:7; 107:10-16; 146:1-7), God then caused a great earthquake to rock the prison building, open the doors and set the prisoners free. Quickly realising the responsibility he bore in keeping the prisoners captive, the jailor despaired for his life. If any escaped, his own life would be taken by the Roman authorities. Paul could see the jailor about to commit suicide in the shadows and quickly cried out to reassure him that the prisoners were all there in the jail. It was clear to the man that Paul and Silas were indeed representatives of the all-powerful God of Israel and over-awed by His display of power and the God-fearing attitude of His servants, he called for a light and sprang in — but not in the manner appropriate to a security guard. He fell down trembling before them!

He was not so much concerned with locking them up again, but in being saved himself. He cried, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (cp. Acts 2:37; Luke 3:10). Fear led to desire and desire in turn to belief. Belief brought obedience and baptism "that same hour of the night" to all his household. But how could the jailor and his household know enough about the Gospel to accept the responsibilities of the Truth in baptism so soon? It is obvious from his question in v.30 that he had been well acquainted with Paul's preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That preaching was well-known and wide-spread for they had been there "many days" (cp. vv. 17, 18, 20-21). He had also been impressed with the calm, faithful attitude of them when as his prisoners they had sung praises despite the utter darkness and the pain of their lashings. Then came the shock of the earthquake, the self-control of the prisoners who stayed rather than fled and the charge given to him by Paul and Silas to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He was convinced!

That night as they washed Paul and Silas' stripes they could, in effect, say, "by their stripes we are healed" (cp. Isa. 53:5). We too can be thankful that it was through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are given the opportunity to believe and be baptised into the hope of salvation. We have all the evidence before us that there is "none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Let us therefore humbly believe and obey the charge given to us.

THE MAGISTRATES HUMBLED (verses 35-40).

When they heard of the events of the night, the magistrates who had unjustly sentenced the brethren without a fair trial were frightened. Knowing something of the claims of Paul and his companions, they feared that indeed they may be protected by Divine Power. Accordingly, the magistrates instructed the sergeants to arrange their release. When the keeper of the prison conveyed this message to Paul however, the apostle refused to be dismissed in this way. He emphasised the unjust and harsh treatment his party had been given, and pointed out their rights as Roman citizens to a fair trial and some respect. "Let them come themselves and fetch us out", he demanded (v.37). When they received this message, the magistrates' fear increased. They realised that now they would be unable to secretly explain away the embarrasing incident, but that they were being forced into an open show of apology. In this way Paul was able to humble the civic authorities in Philippi, and so safeguard the little ecclesia from further similar persecutions from them. The lessons of those hours would be remembered by the magistrates for a very long time. "God is not mocked", and His Word shall accomplish that which He pleases (Gal. 6:7; Isa. 55:11). After the magistrates had personally released the company, apologised and asked them to leave the city, they went to the house of Lydia, where they met again with the ecclesia. Paul and Silas spoke words of comfort to the remaining brethren and sisters and departed from Philippi, whilst Luke and Timothy continued their ministrations to the believers in that place.

LESSONS FOR US:

Paul instructs us to be followers of him, even as he was a follower of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). He said he desired to conform to the sufferings, death and resurrection of Christ (Phil. 3:10, 11). This episode in his preaching campaigns highlights how closely he conformed to the way of the Lord Jesus, and we should gain inspiration from his devotion.

When we consider the conversion of Lydia and the jailor, we remember that Jesus said, "No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (Jn. 6:44). We should be very thankful for the opportunities God has given us to learn His Truth. It is our only source of hope in this troubled world, and we should draw near to Christ while the Father is calling.

Paul and Silas suffered for the sake of righteousness in a very real way in Philippi, and, as their singing and praising indicated, were happy because of their persecution. The apostle Peter recorded for our benefit, "Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye ..." (1 Pet. 3-13). We can take encouragement from the experiences of the early disciples and be sure in the knowledge that God will never forsake His children.

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"Paul, the Apostle" (W. H. Boulton)—Ch. 9

"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield)—Vol. 13, pp. 136-154

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. Explain how Paul was guided to Philippi.

2. What attitude did Paul and Silas take to their imprisonment at Philippi?

3. Describe the conversion of the Philippian jailor.

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. Give an account of Paul's preaching in Philippi.

2. Describe the events leading up to Paul's imprisonment in Philippi.

3. Describe the conversion of Lydia and the jailor at Philippi.